


i hope you burn in hell

by theredhoodie



Category: From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series
Genre: F/M, Missing Scene, Season 3 Finale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-03
Updated: 2016-11-03
Packaged: 2018-08-28 18:26:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8457145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theredhoodie/pseuds/theredhoodie
Summary: What really happened once Kate found herself in Xibalba? How did she find Richie? How did they get out?





	

**Author's Note:**

> I instantly wanted this as soon as the episode finished and some people on twitter were dying for some answers so here is my take. I tried to make it as canon as humanly possible, I hope I succeeded!
> 
> Briefly edited by my boyfriend!

The trip through the gate was painful, but far from the most painful experience she had had in the past six months. She had been killed, shot in the knee, almost died again…not to mention the emotional impact held over her head from what Amaru had her do.

She, being part of Amaru, didn't burst up from the ground. She just…arrived. The world was in all negative. She could _feel_ the wrongness of it all. The air licked at her, feeling Amaru's connection to her. Kate closed her eyes and pushed the air away. It felt like hands pulling at her clothes, her hair.

She shuddered and took in a breath.

For Hell, it was a very desolate place. She wasn't sure what she expected. She had seen all of the things Amaru had done in her body, but had never been able to see into the demon queen's soul…or whatever it was that she had that was an equivalent to a soul.

She thought, she was certain, that walking through the gate would be it for her. She would die or be ravaged by time here in Xibalba. And yet, when she got there, she felt more hopeful than she had in many, many months.

With nothing else to do, she started to walk. The place was a desert, sparse trees and brush, a sun—or lack thereof—shone in the sky, casting everything in a red light. Dust kicked up under her feet. Her arms stung and were heavy. She thought about the scars she'd have after tonight.

After tonight?

She let out a rye laugh, her throat raw and dry.

She drew her arms around herself and tried to keep from crying. This was just all too much. How was she supposed to live through this? How was she supposed to deal with every bad thing that had been done by her own hands? The number of souls that she had been witness to. Those consumed burned deep and bright like stars, frightened and tangy. And then, the ones Amaru didn't fully consume? Seth and Richie's, for example, were imprinted in Kate's mind forever. It was more like a _reading_ of their souls. Amaru knew how much she cared for the Geckos and explored their souls with her touch.

Her chin trembled and a sob escaped her mouth. Stopping, she stood in the middle of Xibalba, a girl alone, overwhelmed. She allowed herself to think about Scott and Seth dying because of her decision. She _had_ to do it. She couldn't let the world burn for just two people. She couldn't be selfish.

Plopping down on the ground, she allowed herself to anguish. If she didn't, she would explode. From the moment she woke up to Seth standing above her, she was moving, moving, _moving_. She was only human; if she was going to power through whatever was next for her, she needed to take a moment.

Closing her eyes, she took deep breaths, feeling the chill overcome her now that she was still.

Without even thinking about it, her mind, influenced by Amaru, reached out…and she touched someone else. Someone familiar.

She opened her eyes and she could still feel the _tug_ in a certain direction. Getting to her feet, she started walking, realizing, as she got closer, that this feeling of familiarity was more than just that.

She started to jog up a slow incline, over a ridge and there, she could see him.

What was he doing here?

Not caring for her own safety, she rushed forward. A part of her knew this wasn't some trap. How could it be? The queen wasn't on this plane anymore. How dangerous could it really be?

"Richie?" she called out, her voice foreign after so much silence.

He was slouched on the ground, dressed in a smart suit like the one she'd first met him in, except he now had a tie around his neck.

"Richie," she said again, getting closer and slowing to a walk. "Is it really you?"

He sat back and squinted up at her. "Kate?" The emotion in his voice was enough to break her heart. "You…she said you were dead."

Kate, exhausted, fell to her knees in front of him. "It's a long story, but I'm alive."

The vulnerability on his face suddenly hardened. "No. This is another trick. First Carlos, now you." He shook his head.

Kate refused to acknowledge what were obviously Xibalban tricks. "How did you end up here?"

He hesitated before answering, waving a hand to emphasize. "Tanner. Pushed Zolo into the gate and I got dragged along for the ride."

It felt like iron weights were resting on her shoulders. She gasped for air and gripped her knees for support. "I think I'm supposed to get you out of here," she said finally, meeting his eyes.

"You? What are _you_ even doing here?"

"I had to walk through the gate. Amaru and I are connected. It was the only way to save the earth."

Richie frowned. "Something's not right."

"What do you mean?"

"If you're here…Amaru should also be here or something like that. But I didn't feel anything shift. Not like when the eclipse happened, when the gate opened."

Kate thought about it, as difficult as it was to slug through her thoughts at the moment. He was right, of course. She shouldn't be surprised. This was Richie after all.

"So what do we do now?" Kate asked, glancing around.

"Well, seeing's you have a connection to Amaru and Xibalba, carve us a way out."

Kate sighed and closed her eyes. "It's not that easy." She opened her eyes slowly. "You have a connection to Xibalba, too. Help me. What am I looking for?"

Richie squinted into the eclipsed sun. "Look for something that doesn't fit, something that is pulling a lot of energy, unlike the rest of this place."

Kate nodded. Taking in a deep breath, she closed her eyes and focused. She was losing whatever tether held her and Amaru together slowly, but she could still use the queen's influence. She searched, stretching herself as thin as she could before she felt it.

"Got it," she said the moment her eyes opened.

Richie struggled to his feet and offered a hand down to her. "Good. Let's blow this joint."

Kate took his hand, knowing she was unable to stand on her own. Something about this place just pushed you down, like gravity had been turned up to the max.

Once standing, she didn't let go of his hand, even as he started to walk away. She stayed put and he had no choice but to look back at her.

"Richie." She couldn't help herself, she had to allow both of them a moment of recognition. Hadn't it all started with them anyway?

Richie looked at her and she looked at him.

Without even knowing it, they both sifted through the brief moments when they saw into each other's souls. Richie saw the pain that Kate had been through, the death of her father, the innocent man she was forced to kill, her time spent with Seth. Kate saw him struggling with keeping himself and Seth together, his emotional wounds from his time with Santanico that were still healing, the way he never, ever gave up on getting Kate back from Amaru…

"Thank you," Kate said finally, squeezing his hand and stepping toward him. She didn't know why, but she hugged him, resting her ear against his chest and closing her eyes, listening to his faint heartbeat. "For not giving up on me."

Richie hesitated before he put his arms gently around her.

"I'm sorry for what she did to you," she said once she stepped back. She tilted her head back to look up at him.

Richie half smiled and took her hand once again. "Let's go fuck her up."


End file.
